Monday, December 24, 2012

Swimming dogling paddle has worn Miss E out, it's very rare to see her asleep during the daytime.

"Two turtle doves..." rings the Christmas song. Here is one of our two local Spotted Turtle Doves, taken through my window.

Last night we took our annual Christmas lights drive.

Images from today - Miss E (20) has been filling the (hot) house with wonderful aromas of baking for days, yum!

At last Miss G (15) has completed her Tilda angel doll which she began two years ago. She looks delightful even without hair.

Another special event today was being able to welcome my father-in-love into his new home, a wonderful aged care centre in our town. Each room has just one bed and it's own ensuite. He is very pleased to leave hospital and settle peacefully into his own permanent room. God has been very good to us.

Friday, December 21, 2012

Have you even tried to complete a puzzle when you don't even know what the finished product will look like?

Poinciana trees

No matter which way you look at it, the picture isn't clear.

Yet as you work with the piece which is in your hands, making the next step, the pieces begin to come together.

Sections here and there make sense......

However the distance is still a mystery.

My 85 year old father-in-love has been cared for at home in a wheel chair for five long years. My mother-in-love and community nurses have assisted him every day until he now requires mechanical lifters and care beyond which can be provided at home. The search for suitable care has been long and difficult and no vacancies exist, yet by God's grace all is coming together in ways we could not have dared hope for.

It appears as though God has been walking with us and ahead of us through this stressful time in ways we don't deserve and don't yet fully understand. The puzzle is far from complete but we now sense it will all be ok. My father-in-love will move from hospital into temporary care in our preferred aged care centre on Christmas Eve. It has been a rather busy week. We continue to work with the next piece......

UPDATE: On Christmas Eve I was able to welcome my father-in-love into his new home, a wonderful aged care centre in our town. Each room has just one bed and it's own ensuite. He was very pleased to leave hospital and settle peacefully into his own permanent room. God has been very good to us.

* The trees in the avenue featured above are a type of small leafed fig tree, most likely around 80 years old. Photos were taken early one misty morning a few weeks ago.

By midday you can see the same bud and the flower behind soaking up the hot sunshine.

Each of these photos were taken this morning and each of these plants is self-seeded. Some I have transplanted to keep the garden a little more organised. I love having bonus or self-seeded plants. You may remember the delights I shared of my first zinnia patch last summer. This year the delights remain and also the surprises as the seedlings pop up here and there through the garden.

Monday, December 17, 2012

What do you do when it's too hot to enjoy playing cricket outside with the neighbours and you've had enough of watching cricket on TV in the air-conditioning? You invent Pool Cricket! Using a plastic bat and ball you play hit-and-swim!

The younger ones and another neighbour are having a great time playing lego inside. All 10 have stopped to have ice cream in cones or smoothies - in front of cricket on the TV. Our twins have played competition cricket each of the last four days....and still want more!

A Little About Me

Hello, I'm Karen. Welcome to my blog! Here I share snippets from our life as a family of ten in rural Australia - everyday happenings, photography, gardening, homeschooling and my love of quilting.
I choose to find beauty, contentment and joy in my everyday life.
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